In using a conventional lighting system, for example in a residential home, each luminaire, such as for example arranged in a ceiling of a room, is controlled using an individually provided light control unit, such as a push-on/push-off switch button. Recently, there has been a desire to improve the overall control of lighting and possibly further electrical equipment, forming the so-called “intelligent home”, where intelligent lighting systems combine light emitting diodes (LEDs), embedded sensors and controls, and low-cost pervasive networking to create an integrated illumination system that is highly responsive to its environment. Benefits of some or all such intelligent systems may include, but are not limited to, a much higher quality of light tailored specifically to user needs and significant energy savings, compared to legacy lighting system technologies.
An example of such an intelligent lighting system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,911,158, providing a lighting system that introduces a minor change to a given set of parameters that affect a lighting ambiance associated with an environment, and collects the user's response to the change. Based on the user's response, the system learns which changes to which parameters lead to an improved effect. By repeating the change-feedback sessions, the system approaches an optimal setting for achieving the desired ambiance in the given environment. The change-feedback session occurs for example each time a light is turned on, and the feedback is collected when the light is turned off, using a specifically formed multiple switch arrangement. If the light is turned off using one switch, the feedback is positive; if the light is turned off using an alternative switch, the feedback is negative.
Even though U.S. Pat. No. 7,911,158 provides an interesting approach to lighting control, the use will have to actively react to an automatic change introduced by the lighting system, over time being somewhat intrusive to the users, since the user will have to react to adjustments proposed by the system. Thus, it would be desirable to introduce a novel methodology, being less intrusive as compared to prior art and more adaptable to the actual behavior of the user.